Mounting of gun barrel and action assembly in gun stock



April 22, 1969 c. F. LAWLEY 3,439,441

MOUNTING OF GUN BARREL AND ACTION ASSEMBLY IN GUN STOCK Filed July :5, 1967 Sheet 0! 2 INVEN'IORK CHARLES E LAWLEY ATTORNEY April 22, 1969 c. F. LAWLEY 3,439,441

MOUNTING OF GUN BARREL AND ACTION ASSEMBLY IN GUN STOCK Filed July 5, 1967 Sheet 3 of 2 BY MW ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,439,441 MOUNTING 0F GUN BARREL AND ACTION ASSEMBLY IN GUN STOCK Charles F. Lawley, RD. 5, Shavertown, Pa. 18708 Filed July 3, 1967, Ser. No. 650,710 Int. Cl. F41c 23/00 US. CI. 42-75 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention is concerned essentially with a smallarms construction including a stock and a barreled action, wherein a bed of resilient material is interposed between the barreled action and stock.

Background of the invention As is well known to those versed in the art, conventional manufacture of rifles and similar small arms requires the use of a wood stock, being machined, milled or otherwise formed to snugly receive a barreled action. A highly precise fit is essential between the barreled action and stock for best possible accuracy, and this requires tedious and time-consuming effort on the part of highly skilled persons.

It has been proposed to employ rigid, epoxy-type adhesives and Fiberglas materials between the wood stock and metal barreled action for improved fit. However, prior small-arms constructions, both with the without rigid bedding material of epoxy and Fiberglas, or the like, have been found subject to inaccuracy from changes in humidity, temperature and other atmospheric conditions resulting in varying stresses between the barreled action and stock.

Summary Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a unique and highly improved smallarms construction wherein a barreled action is secured to but effectively isolated from a stock of wood, or the like, by means of a resilient bedding material, which produces a greatly improved accuracy under all conditions of use, even including those of rapid fire having substantial shock effects and heating.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a small-arms construction of the type described wherein dimensional changes of the barreled action and stock are effectively isolated from each other so that stresses are not transmitted therebetween, which results not only in greater accuracy, but enhanced reliability, durability and longer useful life.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a small-arms construction having the advantageous characteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, which is extremely simple in structure, and effects substantial savings in costs, to enable the small arms to be manufactured and sold at a reasonable price.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is an elevational perspective view showing a rifle or small arms constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial side elevational view, taken generally along the line 22 of FIGURE 1, partly in section, to illustrate internal construction.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken generally along the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

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FIGURE 4 is a partial side elevational view, partly in section, showing a slightly modified embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view taken generally along the line 55 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a transverse sectional view showing another slightly modified embodiment of small-arms construction of the present invention.

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring now more particularly to the drawing, and specifically to FIGURES l-3 thereof, an article of small arms or a rifle is shown in FIGURE 1, and there generally designated 10. The rifle includes a stock 11 and a barreled action 12 associated with the stock.

More specifically, as seen in FIGURE 2, the stock 11 includes an upwardly facing elongate, semi-cylindrical recess or groove 15, and is further formed with a through opening 16 extending downward from a rearward region of the groove 15 and opening through the underside of the stock 11. In addition, the stock 11 is formed with one or more, generally vertically extending through openings or holes, including a through opening or hole 17 forward of the opening 16, and a through hole 18 rearward of the opening 16. The holes 17 and 18 also pass from lower respective regions of the upwardly facing groove 15 downward and open through the underside of the stock 11.

The barreled action 12 includes a barrel part 20 generally conformably received in the groove 15, and an action part 21 secured to a rearward region of the barrel part 20 and depending therefrom through the stock opening 16. The action part 21 is provided on its underside with a depending trigger 22, which may be protectively surrounded by a trigger guard 23 secured at its opposite ends to the underside of the action part 21 by a fastener 24, and to the underside of the stock 11 by a fastener 25.

The upwardly facing longitudinally extending groove 15 formed in the stock 11 is further formed with a plurality of generally parallel grooves or upwardly facing recesses 28 extending transversely across the groove 15 forward of the hole 17. Additionally, a transversely extending, upwardly facing groove or recess 29 may be formed in the groove 15 rearward of the'stock opening 16, between the latter and rearward hole 18. The barreled action 12 may be formed on its underside, say in the barrel part 20, with a plurality of downwardly facing, generally parallel, transversely extending recesses or grooves 30, each of which may be located directly over and in facing relation with a respective upwardly facing groove 28. Similarly, the barreled action 12 may be formed in a rearward region, say in the action part 21, with a transversely extending, downwardly facing groove 31 located over and in facing relation with respect to the rearward groove 29. Except for the grooves 28, 29, 30 and 31, and the holes 17 and 18, the barreled action 12 is dimensioned for conforming disposition in spaced relation within the groove 15 and stock opening 16. That is, the barrel part 20 is received in spaced relation within the groove 15, and the action part 21 depends in spaced relation within the stock opening 16.

Interposed in the space between the barreled action 12 and stock 11, completely spacing apart the former from the latter, is a bed or continuous layer of resilient bedding material, as at 32. The bedding material, in accordance with the teachings of the instant invention is of a resilient characteristic, advantageously having adhesive properties and in adhesive engagement with substantially all of the facing surface areas of the stock 11 and barreled action 12. For this purpose, a self-curing, semi-resilient adhesive such as that designated EC801 by Minnesota Mining Corporation has been found satisfactory. Said E0801 material is a heavy liquid synthetic rubber compound which, upon the addition of an accelerator, chemically cures to a tough, rubber solid. In practice, a thickness of the layer or bed 32 of approximately inch is advantageous, but this thickness may vary.

In addition to the substantially constant-thickness resilient layer or bed 32, the material thereof is formed to extend integrally into the facing stock grooves 28 and 29 and barreled-action grooves 30 and 31, as at regions 33 and 34. These bed regions 33 and 34 are thus of increased thickness and provide effective shock-absorbing cushions by their resistance in shear.

The barreled action 12 may be of the type bolted to a stock, including forward and rearward headed studs or bolts 35 and 36 depending respectively into holes 17 and 18. Further, the headed studs 35 and 36 are surrounded by quantities or pads of resilient bedding material, as at 37 and 38, which material may substantially completely occupy respective holes 17 and 18 in bearing engagement with the under or inner sides of the heads of respective studs 35 and 36 to firmly and resiliently maintain the barreled action 12 in its bolted or tied relation with respect to the stock 11.

It will, therefore, now be understood that the barreled action 12 is effectively positively secured to the stock 11, while being isolated therefrom to cushion shock and the transmission of stresses therebetween.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURES 4 and 5, a stock is generally designated 11a, and may be essentially similar to the stock 11, including a longitudinally extending upwardly facing groove a, and a generally vertically extending through opening 16a passing downward from a rearward region of the groove 15a through the underside of the stock. The barreled action 12a of the embodiment of FIGURES 4 and 5 is similar to that of the firstdescribed embodiment, including a barrel part a and an action part 210. However, the barreled action 12a is of the recoil-lug type, including a lug 13 depending rigidly from the underside of barrel part 20a into spaced relation within an upwardly facing hole 14 in the stock 11. The stock is further formed with forward and rearward vertically extending through holes 17a and 18a, forwardly and rearwardly of the through stock opening 16a, the holes each passing downwardly from the groove or recess 15a through the underside of the stock, and there formed with enlarged regions 19 and 26, respectively. Headed fasteners or studs a and 36a are secured to the action part 21a and depend rigidly therefrom in spaced relation through respective holes 17a and 18a, terminating at their enlarged or headed ends within the enlarged hole regions 19 and 26.

The barreled action 12a is received in conforming spaced relation within the stock 11, being at all locations spaced therefrom with the groove 15a and opening 16a being lined with a bed or layer of resilient material 32a, in essentially the same manner as the layer 32 of the firstdescribed embodiment. In addition, interposed between the interior surface of lug-receiving hole 14 and lug 13, to completely occupy the space therebetween, is an extension 27 of the layer 32a, advantageously integrally fabricated of the same resilient bedding material. Also, the holes 17a and 18a, and particularly the enlarged lower ends 19 and 26 are advantageously provided with pads or cushions 37a and 38a engaging the inner sides of the headed ends of fasteners 35a and 36a to effectively maintain firm securement between the barreled action 12a and stock 110.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 4, the barreled action 12a is also effectively isolated from the stock 11a, to substantially reduce or cushion shock and minimize Stress transmissions therebetween.

A further embodiment is shown in FIGURE 6, which is a cross-sectional view similar to FIGURES 3 and 5, a stock there being generally designated 11b and formed with a longitudinally extending upwardly facing groove 15b spacedly receiving a barreled action 12b, the space between the barreled action and facing surface of groove 15b being substantially fully occupied by a bed or layer 32b of resilient yieldable material, of the type disclosed hereinbefore.

In the embodiment of FIGURE 6, the barreled action 12b may include a barrel part 20b snugly surrounded by a reinforcing tube 40. The tube 40 serves to rigidify the barreled action 12b and the tube itself is securely adhesively seated in the bed 32b. This construction has been found to have remarkable accuracy under widely varying conditions of use.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a small-arms construction which fully accomplishes its intended objects and is well adapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

What is claimed is:

1. A small-arms construction comprising a stock, a barreled action associated with said stock, said barreled action comprising an action part and a barrel, a bed of resilient adhesive material interposed between said barreled action and said stock and in adhesive engagement therewith, and extending throughout the entire opposed contiguous areas between said barreled action and said stock thereby totally isolating said barreled action from said stock.

2. A small-arms construction according to claim 1, in combination with headed tie means extending from said barreled action spacedly through said stock, and pads of resilient bedding material interposed between said headed tie means and stock.

3. A small-arms construction according to claim 1, in combination with a recoil lug extending from said barreled action into spaced relation within said stock, and resilient bedding material surrounding said lug Within said stock.

4. A small-arms construction according to claim 1, said barreled action and stock each being formed with transversely extending grooves with the grooves of said barreled action being in respective facing relation with the grooves of said stock, and resilient bedding material occupying said grooves to provide shock cushioning.

5. A small-arms construction according to claim 1, said bed of resilient material comprising a heavy liquid synthetic rubber compound which, upon the addition of an accelerator, chemically cures to a tough, rubber solid. 6. A small-arms construction according to claim 1, in combination with a reinforcing tube encircling the barrel part of said barreled action, said tube being bedded in said bed of resilient material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,847,786 8/1958 Hartley et al. 4276 2,941,326 6/1960 Hamil et a1. 42--75 2,967,368 1/ 1961 Williams 4275 3,023,527 3/1962 Leek et al 4271 3,107,450 10/1963 Snyder et a]. 427'6 3,203,129 8/1965 Elkas 4275 X 3,299,558 1/1967 Karl 4275 X 3,343,457 9/1967 Menneking et al. 4275 X 3,350,807 11/1967 Monroe 4275 BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

